“Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.”- Mark TwainMy live frog is waking up early and working out. Every single day it's difficult to do.
My alarm buzzes me awake at 4:00 in the morning during the week now. Four a.m. You know, just a few hours past midnight and way before the sun is even cresting the horizon. 15 years ago it would have been just a couple of hours after I went to sleep. Now, it's six-and-a-half hours after I lay my head down on my pillow and knock off for the night. When my head hits that pillow, I am down for the count, at least until my daughter cries and my wonderful wife wakes up to tend to her and I slip blissfully and quickly back into slumber. Initially, I was waking up at 5:00 to work out and start my morning but I was always so groggy that it just didn't do me any good, and my workout would be both shorter than I liked and less intense because I was just so damn tired. So I tried 4:30. Better, but I wanted to spend some "me time" in the morning as well. Hence, Four o'clock in the morning. Now, when I trundle myself down the steps and into the dark kitchen, I have a cup of coffee, let the dogs out and feed them, and then journal for a few minutes. This is the key for me. I start my day with three things I'm thankful for, big or small, and then a short paragraph or two about the goals for the day or how I'm feeling, or really anything else that comes to mind. I feel productive when I do that, especially when I find my "highlight" of the day; the one thing I really want to accomplish. Generally, it's a task because I love having my projects, but other times it's something I want to do with or for my family. I write those highlights down as well. Then I read. Yup. at 4:30 in the morning I read a few pages to a chapter of a book focused on my professional aspirations, my personal betterment, or something motivational. I take notes. I pet the dogs. I sip coffee. It's nice. I try to do something for the house after that. Maybe I'll sweep the floors or run a load of laundry or clean the kitchen counters, or put the shoes away in the closet the right way. It's small and measurable and it makes a difference I like to take something off of my wife's plate where I can because she is so great as a stay-at-home mom that I can hardly stand it. (Side note, every time I think I've been working hard I check myself by looking at the work that she does.) Then it's time to sweat. I lift weights until I can't, then I do a little more. I generally turn on a Podcast or an audio book and just let the time go for an hour. It's a great way to get the heart pumping and to get ready for the day, plus I am protecting my health, and all it costs me is some time and some sore muscles. I have time for a quick shower and then I get to my favorite part- eating breakfast with my family before I have to leave for work. No, that's not the frog. Every thing before it was. By waking up early and starting my day productively I am better able to be an active participant in my life. I start by taking control and accomplishing tasks that are important to me as a father, husband, employee, and individual. Success isn't about talent or luck, though those can play a part. No, it's about hard work and perseverance. It's about making time for what's important. It's about priorities, and family, and friends, and work. It's about finding intrinsic motivation. It's about eating a live frog and deciding it's delicious, because it really is, if only you allow yourself to look at it from a different perspective.
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"If I Googled you, what would I find?"
I was in a meeting a while back and someone asked the above question. It was in regards to students and their digital footprints, and it got me to thinking, both about my own presence and that of my students. Actually, not just my students, but all students. I am trying to build a professional brand of my name and of my skill set in the industry. It makes sense for me to do so as I grow professionally and attempt to further my role as a technology coach in the district. What I hadn't considered, largely because I just didn't realize it, is that students can do the same thing. So many people know how to use social media for, well, social purposes, but how many students know that it can actually be used for continuing education. My guess? Not that many. If I Googled my students, what would I find? Much of the same stuff that would be found if you Googled me. Probably some pictures, an Instagram account, a twitter account. Maybe a Facebook account if the student is older. A smattering of things does not a digital personality make. So what? I have this question in my mind, but how do share this idea of a productive online presence with my students? Thankfully, in my new role as an instructional technology coach, I have the opportunity to meet with many many teachers and begin to share ideas, tips, tricks, curriculum, technology, and even some pedagogy. I have started to incorporate this idea of a student brand into my discussions and coaching sessions as teachers navigate familiar and unfamiliar waters in the tech realm of teaching. I ask teachers what presence they have online. I ask them to think about what their students portray online and what that digital presence says about them. Is it educational? Professional? But it's not just about school or work. We have deep, rich personalities that show our hobbies, interests, fears, triumphs and failures. People showcase these in person, online, via text and in a hundred other interactions. There is something interesting about an online presence, which is that we can present what we want to the outside world. While that may not immediately mirror our behaviors, there is something to be said about creating a positive personality online that is still a part of us. It encourages better. There is a saying in which I firmly believe: act the way you'd like to be and soon you'll be the way you act. Creating this brand of positivity and professionalism, especially at a young age, can have a tremendous impact on a person and how they interact with the world around them. So it's not just about the educational experience, though that is part of it. We as teachers have that obligation, but as any educator knows it goes far beyond that. It's about community, kindness, and knowing the impact one's actions can have on the world around them. If I Googled you, what would I find? |
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December 2018
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